That's exactly the statement one of my best friends laid out for me several years ago. It's like a universal truth or something.

Last month I cut the cord. I handed in my cable gear, cut the entire package out, and set myself up for a savings of roughly $100 a month. "Woohoo!" A positive step in my finances. A bit of a relief, honestly.

Yesterday's mail brought the annual mortgage rate evaluation notice (I'm on an adjustable -- it's a long story). My rate, as of the October payment, is going up by a full percentage point. What that translates to in "real numbers" is roughly $85 more in mortgage interest each month.

CRAP!! There goes most of the savings I took a little pride in creating.

I feel like Mr. Parker as the neighbor's dogs raid the kitchen: (Link)

I know the feeling. There is still another $15 to be claimed.

Sshhh!!

So, SO true.

I made a deposit this morning that returned my "emergency fund" to 90% of the target amount.

I took my truck in for an inspection sticker this afternoon and it needs two tires and brakes on all four corners.

Shit.

You're looking at it all wrong. If you hadn't cut the cable you'd be paying the increased mortgage payment and the cable bill. Now you're using the money you save from cutting cable to cover the added expense from the mortgage increase. So at the end of the day you're + $15 dollars instead of being down $185 dollars.

In my case Palmetto State Armory know when I have extra money.

The TV show Becker had an interesting theory about life being like a rubber band.

quote:

Imagine a big rubber band. Anyway, see, with every so-called lucky thing, the rubber band gets stretched a little bit more.

No traffic, good parking space, my wallet was returned, my worst patient left town, the best experience in the post office I've ever had. That anyone's ever had. And then: Thwack! A letter from the IRS.

I'm not making this stuff up, you know. It's been happening throughout history.

Yeah, beautiful cruise ship, iceberg.

Cinderella finally meets the prince, she loses her slipper.

quote:

Originally posted by calugo:
So at the end of the day you're + $15 dollars instead of being down $185 dollars.

Suppose I can "even things out" by spending the "extra" $15 on ammo?

Thats exactly what I find to be true as well. Every time....

For the past 3 years I've been saving for a new Roof, Furnace, and Air conditioner. Then 3 months ago I had an episode of Tachycardia that had my heart rate ranging between 150 and 175 for nearly a full hour. Turns out that the Heart Murmur that kept me out of the Marine Platoon Leader program back in 1976 has now turned into a Mitral Valve that looks like an Octapus, something it shouldn't look like.

Means I am looking at open heart surgery to replace that valve. BTW, minimally Invasive is only done to those old enough to only have 3-5 years of life left or the very infirm. Since I'm only 63 and took the dog out for 4 miles this AM I just don't qualify for an easy fix, for me it's a full blown surgical repair or replacement.

So, all those savings are now going to be used up with copays and 3 months of no income while I am laid up in recovery. Needless to say I cannot disagree with the title for this thread, not one little bit of it.

Yes. I needed some car work done to pass Virginia state inspection, I feared it would be $800 to 1K. Only $150. The SAME day my wife found a slow leak in a bathroom, $700 to repair it...

And the hits keep on coming!

Truck needed $1000 worth of work/parts (already covered).

Had the furnace cleaned, found that IT needs work, price to be determined if I can ever get the guy to come back. I'd be surprised if it doesn't ruin $500.

Plumber just left, my pressure tank is dying. New tank/switch/check-valve etc, plus labor. Again $500 is a good ballpark figure.

Oh, and it appears that my phone has taken a dump too. When I call out, it rings the phone on the other and and appears to connect, but no audio. Gonna run it by the AT&T store and see if the resident geek can find a setting or something, but I'm betting on a new phone.

quote:

Cinderella finally meets the prince, she loses her slipper.

I heard she flopped her dripper.....

Yep that's the way it works, we finally get a bit back one year in taxes and poof, new ac unit is needed.

You could look at it as we lucked out getting the return to cover the costs, however, it could have been a trip to Tahiti, or a new motorcycle, pay off debt, any number of things, even deposited in savings but noooooooooo!

C'est la vie